


Wishes on Dandelions

by seasalticecream32



Series: Merlin Modern Magic AUs [4]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern with Magic, Alternate Universe - Werewolf, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-12
Updated: 2015-10-12
Packaged: 2018-04-26 02:04:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,600
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4985818
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/seasalticecream32/pseuds/seasalticecream32
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Prompt: I’m a newly-turned werewolf without a pack. I can’t really control myself on full moon nights yet. You keep finding me passed out naked on your lawn. AU</p><p>Elyan/Gwaine</p><p>Gwaine's life is a singular spiral downward. Being a werewolf only exacerbates this. Elyan, the EMT who smells like smoke and fire and laughs like he has no problems, is a bit too picture perfect to handle Gwaine's troubles. Or at least, that's what he thinks.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Wishes on Dandelions

**Author's Note:**

> Hey! I've been trying to expand the pairs I write for on here, so enjoy some Elyan/Gwaine! I really, really had fun writing this and realized that I absolutely love this ship to death. :D
> 
> If you want to send me requests or chat with me about anything or whatever, you can find me at captainmerlin32 on tumblr. :) Thank you for reading!

Gwaine woke to something warm and soft covering him. Which was nice, since he was laying on dew-wet, spongy earth. He wiggled a moment, trying to get in a comfortable position and cover himself up more with the furry blanket.

“You know, you could wake up at least once before I head out to work.”

Gwaine cracked an eye open. He groaned and rubbed his aching head and tried not to breathe because his mouth tasted like something died in it. It took him a moment to orient himself and remember that, well, yes, something probably did die in it.

The thought sent shivers down his spine and the voice from before laughed.

Gwaine turned his head to find Elyan leaned against his door frame, grinning from ear to ear. “Yeah, well, I could, but I never actually seem to.” Gwaine glanced around the small yard and was glad to see at least this time he hadn’t brought anything with him.

The first time he’d woke up in Elyan’s yard, he had a dead bunny by his head, which hadn’t ingratiated his unwilling host to him at all. Luckily, Gwaine hadn’t had the poor creature in his mouth, so he’d been able to convince Elyan that it had been a cruel joke played on him by his buddies. Elyan had made an assumption and at the time, it had seemed logical to go with it.

But, it turned out, Elyan had not been the only one to make that assumption.

Gwaine rubbed his head and tried to sit up, wondering who would claim he was at their party this time. He groaned and pulled the cover up over his shoulders. The school had said they’d give him one more chance and if he got caught _behaving badly_ again, he’d be kicked out of the Arts program.

His side burned like hell and he desperately needed a toothbrush. “Hey mate, can I borrow this blanket to walk back home?”

“Don’t care much. But you could always come in and eat first.” Elyan hadn’t moved from where he leaned on the doorway. “I make perfect hangover pancakes.”

“Look, I’m a very pansexual man and you are a very attractive person and I am very naked. I ‘m not sure I could truly handle all those factors at once without embarrassing myself.”

“You mean, more embarrassing than being passed out in my lawn?”

“Yes, I mean more embarrassing than that.” Gwaine picked a dandelion and grinned. “If I give you this, can I trade it for pants?”

Elyan shook his head, but let out a hearty laugh. “How about you blow it out and make a wish instead?”

“If I wish for pants, will it come true?” Gwaine waggled his eyebrows.

“Get in here before you scare people.” Elyan moved to the side, still chuckling as Gwaine struggled to stand without tripping over the blanket or showing his arse to the whole of the student body passing behind him.

“So, did you cover me up before or after the sun came up?”

“You know, strange thing, I actually didn’t cover you up at all. You must have stolen the blanket from the dog I covered up last night.” Elyan shrugged. “Poor thing wouldn’t wake up. Must have been tired. He was shaking from fright, even in his sleep.”

Gwaine’s insides went cold. “Yeah, poor thing. Did it look alright? Wasn’t hurt was it?”

“Bit of a nasty cut on his side. Looked like he’d been swiped by something big.” Elyan shrugged. “It probably limped off to die. Dog’s do that, you know.”

Gwaine shifted under the blanket, more aware of the sting at his side. The dog that had attacked him had been hungry, and Gwaine wasn’t exactly a giving sort on a full moon. “Mind if I grab a shirt, too?”

“Can’t exactly go to school topless, can you?” Elyan grinned, leaning back on the counter with his hip. “You are going to school, right?”

“Wouldn’t you know, I didn’t think I was when I woke up this morning, but things look to have turned around.” Gwaine tried for a lighthearted chuckle but it came out strangled and stressed. “Besides, I can’t afford to miss any more.”

“That’s true. You can’t party your way through college like you can high school.” Elyan scratched his chin and kicked off from the counter. “Best get those clothes for you then. Don’t know when your first class is, but I’d reckon it’s coming up soon. No time for pancakes, I guess.”

Gwaine nodded, lips thin. Elyan was an EMT and a good man, and if he thought Gwaine was just another irresponsible party goer then that was all the best for him.

“The shirt’s probably going to be a bit big for you, but the pants should fit fine.”

“I don’t know if I like those implications. Might have to hit the gym more.” Gwaine took the clothes gratefully. They were plain, a white shirt and dark pants, but infinitely better than being naked. They smelled like campfire smoke and old fire. Not that he sniffed them, at all.

“You know, if you’re not all booked up for the rest of the week, you could come to coffee with me.” Elyan sipped his mug of coffee and made a face. It had to be cold by now. He’d certainly brewed it before he’d checked on Gwaine. “Since you keep costing me perfectly good cups at home.”

Gwaine didn’t blush any more, but he came dangerously close to it when he saw the shy smile that Elyan was giving him. “Sorry mate, got early classes all week and caffeine late at night keeps me up.”

Elyan’s smile faltered, but only briefly. “A movie? A dinner? Or is it a flat out no? I’m ok with it.”

He wanted to say yes. He could feel the yes welling up in his throat and fighting for freedom. “Sorry, really. I don’t have much time for dating between keeping up my reputation and studying.”

“Reputations aren’t so important. Let me know if you change your mind.”

Gwaine looked down at the clothes in his hand, and back up to Elyan who shook his head.

“Keep them. Just bring them back later, after they’ve had a good wash.”

Gwaine nodded, throat closed up around the date that could have been, and showed himself to the bathroom. Bathrooms were always down the hall and somewhere in the middle, he’d figured out. He rarely ever asked any more.

Which was how he ended up in Elyan’s bedroom instead.

He shrugged and dropped the blanket in a clothes hamper. He figured that after being on a supposedly dead dog and a mysteriously naked man, Elyan would want it to get a good wash.

The fabric of the shirt was soft against his skin. It was a bit big, but in a comfortable, loose way. And the pants fit perfectly. Of course. Gwaine took a second to glance around the room, to take in the picture of Elyan’s sweet kid sister hanging on the wall and the EMT jacket slung over a chair. The computer was open and off, the curtains were closed, the bed was made. Elyan was picture perfect in every way and it made Gwaine’s stomach twist.

“Hey now, you might want to hurry if your classes are as early as you claim. It’s coming up on 10 o’ clock.”

“Oh, shit.” Gwaine dashed from the room, running his fingers through his hair. “Thanks for the clothes, mate. I’ll bring them by tonight, if you’re not working.”

“If you’re not too busy, I’ll be here all day. Bring them whenever.” Elyan was starting another pot of coffee. “I’m off.”

“Oh, ok. See you later, then.” Gwaine grinned and gave a half wave, jogging out the door.

He tried not to think about the fact that he’d missed his morning class already, and was pushing being late for his second. Luckily, one, two, three turns and he was on school grounds.

He tried to slow down and catch his breath before he passed through the hallway to his class, but it was no good. Everyone was already in class, his seat empty by the window, and the professor had already started. He was officially late, which meant his teacher was going to count him absent no matter if he sat here or not.

He sat in his seat anyway, and tried not to stare at the window and worry. He listened, and took notes, and tried not to breathe too deeply in case he breathed in the smell of Elyan’s clothes.

“Gwaine, was it? You’re needed at the counselor’s office.”

“Yes, sir. Right on that.” Gwaine mumbled and gave a half salute, smiling brightly despite the sinking in his stomach.

Of course the counselor would need to see him.

The last time he’d stepped foot in that office, he’d had quite the lecture.

_You’re father pulled a lot of strings to get you into this school._

_He assured us your wild behavior was over with._

_He said you were ready to grow up, to represent our school with your best behavior and talent._

He’d managed to charm his way out of it that time, insisting he’d double up on his efforts and catch up with his missed work. He’d assumed, at that time, he’d have this under control by now.

But last night, and the past three full moons before that, showed that he hadn’t really figured any of it out. Controlling himself without a clue of what he was doing or where he was going or how to make it stop was proving far more impossible than he’d originally planned.

“Look, I know you’re new to the college life, but that excuse is starting to wear thin.” The man leaned over his desk, eyes squinting over freshly printed paper. “It says here you’ve dropped out of your night classes. And you’ve missed your morning classes consistently near the end of each month.”

“Yes, sir. Unfortunately, I—”

“The school is tired of your excuses, Mr. Noble.” Gwaine’s lip twitched when the counselor flipped his oily black hair out of his face. “You’re grades are not acceptable for a student of your talent, and your attendance proves you’re still treating these courses as a joke and not the serious opportunity this is.”

Gwaine snorted. “Look, Professor Snape—”

“My name is Agravaine.”

“Snape, sir, I know that you are operating under the assumption that I’m partying all night and sleeping my days away, but I assure you, I haven’t had a drop of alcohol since…” Gwaine counted out on his fingers, backwards to the week he was bitten. “Roughly 6 months ago.”

“We’ve received complaints that you’ve been found at various sites around campus twice, nude and passed out. According to the local police station, you’ve been nearly arrested three times for the same behavior. Regardless of your sobriety, this is not acceptable. Our reputation is—”

“Hang reputations, mate, you guys knew when you let me in this school that I didn’t have a clean record. Are you kicking me out or has my father sent you after me to give me a good boxing ‘round the ears?” Gwaine wanted to spit. “Because if it’s the latter, then you can tell him you did a good job and let me on my way, I’m late for class.” He hopped up from his seat, stomping his way to the door.

“We’ve withdrawn you from your classes.” Agravaine sat back, smug smile planted firmly under his large, greasy nose. “Your father says you can sign back up for next semester if you feel like getting your life back together, but otherwise, you’re free to figure out your future on your own.”

Gwaine faltered, just barely, at the threshold. He nodded curtly, and began to walk away when he heard Agravaine clear his throat behind him.

“You’re bleeding all over your shirt. Might get that looked at before we have to add fighting to your growing list of screw ups.”

Gwaine didn’t bother responding. He didn’t want to give Agavaine the satisfaction of the panic in his voice.

They’d have to give him some time to get out of his room, and he couldn’t deal with the thought of facing Merlin right now. His best friend would be sorely disappointed and probably upset and Gwaine couldn’t deal with all of those emotions right now.

And well, if people were going to accuse him of being a drunk, he didn’t see why he couldn’t enjoy a drink today.

He thought about changing shirts, but this one still smelled like warmth and it was soft against his skin, and he’d already ruined it. No good to ruin another one. He glanced down at the blood that stained the side pink, frowning at the dotted line from where the shirt brushed against his cut.

It was probably healed by now, stitched up by whatever hell had happened to his body six months ago. He was pretty sure dogs didn’t heal quickly or anything, but nothing about his situation made sense so he’d stopped trying to force sense out of it.

He marched down to the bar, stepping in to the smoky, dull atmosphere for the first time since last year’s winter holiday. His stool, the middle one with his name written in sharpie, was empty and crooked. He slumped onto it and waved down the bartender, who welcomed him back with mild surprise.

“Thought you weren’t supposed to come back yet? School’s not out for another three months, buddy.”

“School’s out forever for me, mate.” Gwaine glared at a crudely carved dick on the counter, annoyed that someone had found it fitting to vandalize his favorite spot. “Looks like there’s no famous art career for me.”

“Hey now, lotsa guys don’t get through college.” The bartender shrugged and slapped a whiskey shot in front of him. “You’re looking like it’s one of those days.”

“You know, I’m not sure if I should be glad you know that.” Gwaine shook his head and downed the shot in one drink. “Doesn’t burn half as bad as it used to,” he mumbled.

He didn’t know how long he sat there, waiting for something to happen. He downed a dozen shots and still the hazy, blurred edges of drunkenness didn’t claim him. He ran a frustrated hand through his hair and the bartender raised an eyebrow.

“You’re holding your liquor pretty well tonight. Everything alright?”

“No.” Gwaine thunked his head onto the table and tried to force himself to feel drunk. “Got anything stronger?”

“I’m afraid after twelve shots, you don’t need much stronger. Not for drowning your woes, anyway. What do I look like? An old west salon?”

“Americans are sissies,” Gwaine glared at the stacked shot-glasses from the corner of his eye. He was about ready to leave, determined that this trip was a bust, when he heard it behind him.

A laugh, deep and hearty and too familiar, sounded from the doorway.

Gwaine cursed, loudly, and tried to duck away, but he was too late.

When he looked back, Elyan was paused at the doorway, head tilted. He wondered if he was about to get chewed out for refusing a night time coffee for a night time alcohol binge.

“You alright?” Elyan gestured towards the pink on his shirt. “Looks like you had an accident.”

“It’s nothing. It’s uh… Kool aid?” Gwaine frowned and ran his hands through his hair. “I was just about to leave, actually.”

“You’re still wearing my pants.” Elyan grinned down at the dark pants that still clung to Gwaine’s hips. “Did you remember to grab your wallet before coming down here?”

Gwaine’s face went cold. Of course. He left his wallet in his room on full moons so he wouldn’t lose it or have it found anywhere too incriminating. He didn’t have any way to pay for… anything. “Uh…”

“I’m going to assume by the panic on your face, you forgot it.” Elyan chuckled and shook his head, waving his friends on without him. “I’ll cover it. I wasn’t planning on drinking much anyway.”

“You don’t have to do that. I mean, it’s probably more than you think.” Gwaine looked at the pyramid of glasses and felt the panic build again.

Percy was a good guy, and more a friend than anything, but he couldn’t cancel out Gwaine’s ticket without his manager and his manager was a jackass. Aredian was a wanna-be hardass who liked to steal from the register of his own business and sold drugs on the side to desperate, broken down college students. Percy had protected more than his fair share of college girls and boys alike from his boss’s greedy cuts, and he always had an eye out for any shady business. But that meant he wasn’t Aredian’s favorite bartender, and Gwaine knew Percy couldn’t afford to let his bill slide or put it on credit.

“Look, you can sit there and keep panicking, or you can accept some help.” Elyan shook his head, but his smile had softened. “You don’t have to pay me back or anything, ok? I just want to help you out. You look like you’ve had a bad day.”

“You don’t even know the half of it,” Gwaine murmured, looking down at his feet. He wasn’t even wearing shoes, just socks that were dirty and ragged.

“And then, after I pay off this tab, if you’d like, we can take you back to go get your clothes? Looks like you put mine through the ringer.” Elyan was looking at the pink stain. “Didn’t get in any fights, did you?”

“Why does everyone always assume I’m doing something bad? Why can’t you guys ever assume I got mugged or something?” Gwaine crossed his arms, trying to cover the spot.

Elyan had the decency to seem mildly embarrassed. “Guess you just have that look to you.”

“What look? The _I’m a major screw up_ look? The _I get in random fights_ look? The _I get so drunk I pass out on a regular basis_ look? Maybe there’s more to people than what they look like.” Gwaine flipped his hair out of his eyes and stuck his shoulders back, eyes narrowed. Elyan might be nice, but he was a bit tired of people’s assumptions about him ruining everything. And he really didn’t want to know if Elyan was only interested in him because Gwaine seemed like the “bad, pretty boy who can’t get his life together” type. People whose types were that type, weren’t Gwaine’s type. He didn’t want to be someone’s “sexy mistake” or any variation of any eighties movie cliché where bad boy falls in love with goodie two shoes and they fix each other.

“You look like nothing bothers you.” Elyan moved closer, hand gripping Gwaine’s shoulder. “Like you do exactly what you want to do, and nothing happens to you without your permission.”

Gwaine gaped, not sure if he should laugh or yell. “Well, mate, I must be very good at pretending then.”

Elyan nodded. “I’m on your side, ok? You can only have a guy show up naked in your lawn so many times before you form a deep, meaningful bond with him and his buttocks.”

“Did you mean for that to sound so dirty?”

“Absolutely.” Elyan grinned at Percy and left a few bills on the counter, pointing to Gwaine’s stack. Apparently, Percy trusted Elyan’s mental math payment method because he only nodded and continued serving the group at the other end. “But that’s neither here nor there. People don’t drink twelve shots of anything and not need a friend to talk to. You ready to go get some clothes?”

Gwaine rubbed the back of his neck and thought of Merlin, smile fading and blue eyes lowering in disappointment. “Actually, I’m not really. Want that coffee?”

“Am I buying that, too?” Elyan grinned when Gwaine threw his head back and let out a frustrated huff. “I thought coffee wasn’t good for your sleeping habits?”

“Doesn’t matter now.” Gwaine swallowed the nervous bile rising in his throat. “Don’t have class tomorrow. Or the day after that. Or any of the rest.”

“Ah.” Elyan nodded and steered Gwaine towards the door. “A coffee sounds good.”

There actually weren’t a lot of coffee places open, and they ended up in one where everything smelled a bit burned and there was a suspicious amount of squeaking and groaning from half the booths. “Well, this looks dirty and awkward enough for a late night, drunken coffee run.” Elyan nodded at the dingy table top as if satisfied and sat down. “Although, you hardly seem to be drunken. Are you usually able to drink twelve shots and still walk a straight line?”

“It was weak.”

“It was whiskey.” Elyan frowned. “I’d recognize the smell anywhere. Mother’s favorite.”

“Sorry to hear that. No child should know their parent’s favorite alcohol by scent.”

“Not a big deal. I was too young to remember most of it.” Elyan shrugged. “Let’s not fall into that late night bonding time cliché.”

“Not into being an eighties movie stereotype, then?” Gwaine chuckled and leaned back. “No delving into our personal histories and whatnot?”

“Nah, no falling in love over crap coffee and dirty tables.” Elyan picked up the cup the waitress sat in front of him and grimaced at it.

“You seem pretty confident in your abilities.”

“You’re out to coffee with me, right? Must be destiny.”

Gwaine thought over all the things that had led to this moment. Getting bitten by that woman, dark haired and sad eyed and all the pain everywhere. Missing school, missing days on end, waking up in blood covered pajamas and no idea where he’d been. Sliding away from conversations, not knowing which nightmares were memories, seeing the confused look in Merlin’s eyes when he’d cancelled all his plans for months. “Not my kind of destiny.”

“Look, all joking aside, I’m not expecting anything out of this. I like you, you know that now, but if you don’t feel the same, that’s fine with me.” Elyan risked a sip of his drink and scrunched up his face. “I’m just joking about all the flirting stuff. I tend to do that when I get nervous, but if you want me to stop, I will.”

Gwaine put his head in his hands and tried to breathe through the spiral of the day’s news. “Nah, flirting’s ok. I do that too.”

“Want to talk about what’s been going on? Why’d you get kicked out of school?” Elyan gave Gwaine a piercing stare, as if he could sense the lie that was about to drop from Gwaine’s mouth.

“Bad behavior.” Gwaine pursed his lips. It wasn’t a lie, exactly. “Snivellus the Counselor decided I wasn’t up to the school’s exceptional requirements and gave me the boot.”

Elyan shook his head. “Nope. There’s more to it than that.”

“Nope. Everyone’s convinced everyone I’m a mad partier with no cares in the world, and despite the fact that I know no one’s actually seen me at any of their parties, I got kicked out.”

“What are you going to do? Move back home?”

Gwaine snorted. “Not likely. Dad’s a jackass, wouldn’t take me back if I wanted.”

“My sister is about to be moving up here for school in the next semester. Could see if she needed a roommate?” Elyan fiddled with his napkin, pushing his mug to the corner of the table by the wall. “I know you lost your job a while back. My mate, Arthur, he does a lot work with Pendragon Corp, he could get you a position. His dad owns the place, but he’s worked his ass off and manages his own section of it.”

Gwaine shook his head. “I don’t take charity jobs. Never works out well for me. Besides, I’m good at surviving on my own. Been doing it for as long as I can remember.”

“If you change your mind, I can help out. Don’t have to do everything by yourself, you know.”

“Nice sentiment.” Gwaine rubbed his hands over his eyes. He’d been going back and forth on the idea bouncing around in his head since this morning, when Elyan had asked him on a date for the first time. He hadn’t said anything to anyone, hadn’t tried to reach out for help, and it was costing him. But even now, the thought of talking about it made Gwaine’s stomach clench into knots. “Why don’t you call the cops on me when I’m asleep naked as the day I was born in your front yard? Why did you pay for my shots? Why’d you let me borrow your clothes? Why weren’t you mad when you saw _this_ on it?” Gwaine waved a hand over his side.

“Why would I get mad? You were the one who got hurt. Am I supposed to get mad over a shirt? Was I supposed to let you get arrested for stealing when you had honestly just had a rotten day? Was I supposed to wake you up with police sirens and tantrums because you made a mistake and passed out in my lawn?” Elyan shrugged, leaning back. “Why do you expect me to treat you like a fuck up if you aren’t one?”

Gwaine frowned. “Thought we weren’t having deep, meaningful conversation.”

“You’re the one asking all the deep questions, aren’t you?” Elyan flashed him another smile. “Thought you must have wanted a little reassurance.”

“Doesn’t keep me from being homeless and futureless.”

“You going to wake up tomorrow?” Elyan’s hand inched across the space on the smudged table.

“Hope so.” Gwaine chugged down the cooled-off mug of coffee in front of him, putting it down too rough. “Never know any more.”

_He hadn’t gotten attacked on a full moon. It had been the middle of the month and there she was, whimpering and limping through the street. He’d just tried to help, just tried to pick up the poor thing, when she’d lunged at him, ripped into his arm and through his jacket and sleeves and tore into his skin and muscle. Blood and pain had been everywhere, like a pulse across his body that spread from the white-hot shots searing through his arm. He’d woken up to dark curls and soft fingers and a cooing apology that was both sincere and broken._

_It hadn’t been a full moon when she’d attacked him, and it wasn’t always a full moon when he felt the werewolf roll around beneath his skin, angry and waiting and hunting already._

_He had nightmares where he came back from the wolf in the middle of the day, covered in someone else’s blood and surrounded by people._

“Well, how about you stay at my place tonight? You can sleep on the couch, call up your friends and let them know what’s going on. Tomorrow we can go look for you a job. I don’t go back until the day after, so it’ll be a start.” Elyan left a bill on the table. “And we’ll find somewhere for you to stay that’s a bit more comfortable than my living room. Or my lawn.”

“I’m a werewolf.”

Gwaine hadn’t been planning to confess that, but it had bubbled out of his mouth anyway. He regretted it when Elyan’s shoulders stiffened and he turned to look at Gwaine with an annoyed expression.

“You can’t just say something like that in a coffee house.” Elyan hissed it at him, looking around quickly to see if anyone heard. “Even one that’s nearly empty like this one.”

“What?” Caution is not the warning Gwaine had expected.

“Look, lone wolf, let’s just get to my house and I’ll talk to you about it there.”

“You’re not surprised? I mean, I expected you to maybe laugh and call me crazy. Maybe a bit of uncomfortableness. Maybe like, that awkward laugh thing people do when they suddenly want to leave the conversation,” Gwaine babbled even as Elyan grabbed his hand.

“Will you come on before you say anything else to get you in trouble?” Elyan pulled him up and out of the coffee house, rushing to wave down a taxi.

It was a short drive, but they were silent. Elyan kept giving him anxious glances and opening his mouth like he was going to say something before looking at the driver and shutting his mouth.

When they got to Elyan’s house, he tossed a wad of bills at the driver and corralled Gwaine into his door and slammed it shut behind him.

“I was waiting for you to tell me, but you know, I wasn’t expecting you to tell me in the middle of a public place.” Elyan ran his hands over his jeans and let out a nervous laugh. “Let’s just say, you’re less alone than you think.”

“What?” Gwaine shook his head. “Are you trying to say… that you?”

“Yes.” Elyan nodded and sat heavy on his couch. “Yeah, I am too. It’s less scary when you’ve got people to help you. You can control it better, you don’t go so wild.”

“It was a wild one who changed me. She was hurt and when I tried to help her she…” Gwaine lifted his arm, waving towards the last scar he’d received despite the many dangers he’d found himself in. It covered his forearm, pale and nearly invisible, but there nonetheless. “Ripped right through.”

“That was Morgana. You’ll always smell a bit like her, to everyone else. She didn’t mean anything by it. She’s had it harder than most.”

“What? Why?” Gwaine had spent a long time hating the woman who changed him, no matter how afraid she’d been, no matter how she’d apologized and healed him after.

“Her father is Uther. He simultaneously doesn’t believe in us, and wants us all dead. It’s the most idiotic old white man thing I’ve ever heard. Arthur was bit, too. Same time as Morgana. They’ve been werewolves since they were kids. Arthur just hides it better.”

“Was it Arthur who changed you?” Gwaine remembered Elyan talking about him earlier. Suddenly, Elyan’s offer to get him a job with Arthur made a lot of sense.

“Yeah. It was still early in his wolf days. He hadn’t learned yet. We’ve been close for a long time and I’d followed him from his house one night. It was a big mistake.” Elyan shook his head, his hand grasping his side where Gwaine would be there were scars like his. “He still beats himself up over it. But he’s got a good guy now, won’t let him get too deep in that pit. It’s actually Merlin who told me he was worried about you.”

“Merlin?” Gwaine shook his head. Merlin was his best friend, his only friend, but he hadn’t heard anything about Merlin dating anyone. “My Merlin?”

“Don’t feel too bad. Merlin’s had to keep a lot of secrets. Mostly due to Uther. It’s not my place to reveal them all, but one day you should sit down with him and have a talk.” Elyan sighed. “But this isn’t about Merlin.”

“Is there some kind of alpha hierarchy or something? Am I going to find out that we’ve got a big bad leader or whatever?” Gwaine grimaced at the thought of being ordered around like someone’s pet. Not his most pleasant thought.

Elyan snorted. “Hierarchies like that don’t exist in the real world. That’s something that only happens to wolves in poorly researched movies and wolves kept in captivity that have to compete for food.”

“So, then, I’m not joining some Jacob The Giant Dog Twilight nonsense?” Gwaine relaxed into his seat. He was more relieved than he wanted to admit.

“Nope. We’re just friends who try to keep each other in line and keep each other taken care of. You don’t have to worry about turning out of time or doing something because of the wolf. Life gets fairly normal when you’re part of a pack.” Elyan reached out for him, gripping his shoulder like he had in the bar when he’d been trying to reassure him. “It’s a lot like having a family just as fucked up as you are, ready to help whenever you want it.”

“So about that job…” Gwaine grinned. “And that coffee. Are both offers still open?”

“How about we do something better than coffee tomorrow? I think that coffeehouse ruined me for the rest of my life on caffeine.” Elyan’s grin was blinding, and he scooted closer.

“Fine. We’ll get breakfast.” Gwaine chuckled. “And I’ll pay this time… After I get my clothes from the dorm room. Suddenly, I’m not so worried about seeing Merlin.” Gwaine shoved the questions that Merlin presented out of his mind and gave Elyan a coy look. “Now, how about a kiss goodnight?”

“Oh, how the tables have turned!” Elyan leaned in, nose bumping against Gwaine’s.

“Do I have to wish for it first?” Gwaine said when Elyan paused, brown eyes wide.

“Just making sure you’re ok with this. I wasn’t expecting this when I offered to help.”

“Shut up and kiss me, you sap.” Gwaine pressed his lips to Elyan’s and let himself forget about school and work and Arthur and Merlin and all of tomorrow.

Right now, on Elyan’s couch and wrapped up in the scent of warm fire and finally feeling those soft lips and rough hands on him, Gwaine felt sure of the future for the first time in a long time.


End file.
